


Debonair

by taxomin (CyanCheetah)



Category: Vampire Knight (Anime & Manga)
Genre: A little, Angst, Blood Drinking, Blood Loss, Character Study, Enemies, Fluff, M/M, Mild Language, Mutual Dislike, One Shot, Rivals, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Lust, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:54:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26125324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyanCheetah/pseuds/taxomin
Summary: Zero is increasingly in denial and Kaname just wants to get it all over with.
Relationships: Kiryuu Zero/Kuran Kaname
Comments: 16
Kudos: 108





	Debonair

Kaname smelled of roses, petals dripping with morning dew and pollen, but his attitude pricked Zero like rose thorns. The vampire burrowed beneath his skin and made home there, itching at his patience like a precarious scratch. Zero, a man with non-renewable positive emotions, clashed with Kaname. Horrendously. They barely got along, Kaname veiling his ire with a debonair half-tilt to his lips and Zero—well, he let it all hang out.

‘Debonair’ was reserved for those who had an image to uphold. Everyone already thought he was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, why be polite? 

Also, the use of ‘debonair’ in his vocabulary was for the purpose of understanding Kaname’s social demeanor. He was flamboyant, but not _Aido_ flamboyant—Zero would have a field day clowning him if that were the case—rather, he was a stoic, charming presence that impressed the illusion of tolerance and kindness into the fools around him.

So, ‘debonair’ indeed.

Beyond that, however, as thick a mask as it was, Kaname was a vampire. Vampires, creatures that lurked the night, that plundered human blood and salvaged it like a delicacy— _vampire_. 

The word sent shivers down Zero’s spine.

It was one that haunted him as he slept, fizzled beneath his skin and clung to him like a parasitic layer of baggage. It held too much weight. It wasn’t a secret that Kaname could brush into his closet and hide away for a while. Vampire was reality, and Kaname warped reality every time he adorned the crisp Night Class uniform and dazzled the batch of humans at his doorstep.

It was a sin that he, Zero, was also guilty for. Except, he was paying the price. Kaname would never have to.

Envy stirred in his veins like a tornado formed over boiling red oceans, and Zero trembled on the tiled floor. Stuck, he felt, in the rubble of his own destruction. 

The white tile had a gentle, swooping pattern of red abstract art, blood dipping into the crevices and settling, likely to leave a stain. His back and ass were numb, as sitting on the floor for an hour would do.

Zero, ruminating in his own blood, wondered what it was like, for a brief, treacherous moment, to be a vampire and not an abomination. Just to have some control over the beast inside of him. His throat spasmed and in an instant, he was fumbling up to the toilet and spilling blood from his lips like prayers to an ill-conceived god, red-stained fingers scrambling for purchase on the porcelain. He gagged and heaved, forcing more of it out until clear, thick saliva was the only thing coming from his mouth.

His throat was beginning to itch. He should have expected it.

Yuuki’s blood had become a focal point for his bloodlust, and after choking down blood pills to drown out the urge to **bite** , his body seized in retribution. Zero whimpered, clutching at his jugular and pleading as if there was someone to hear.

“Shit,” He cursed, sinking his nails into the skin of his throat. “Can’t a guy catch a freaking break?”

Drenched in the scent of his own blood, Zero barely noticed the out-of-place, yet familiar smell wafting into the bathroom a second before the door creaked open. He flinched and whipped his head around to see the disapproving downturn of Kaname’s lips. Kaname was always elegantly displeased with him, though Zero found great pleasure in taunting him into anger.

For now, though, he just wanted Kaname to leave. 

Zero groaned and shifted his features from immeasurable pain to spite. “The fuck? Get out, Kuran!” His voice was a strained wisp of its usual edge.

Violet hues glared into mahogany (with a lovely hint of red swirled into its color) and Kaname spoke tersely. “Kiryu, you’re barely capable of speaking. I suggest you save your energy and listen.”

Zero had an argument on the tip of his tongue, so close to spilling out and splattering on the floor like his blood, when he realized how precarious the situation was. Zero was on the verge of going feral and Kaname, pureblooded vampire, could kill him in an instant. It didn’t help that Kaname was also smelling his stupid, godforsaken blood.

He slowly closed his mouth and settled on a glare.

Kaname sighed. “Your compliance is appreciated.”

The word ‘compliance’ near dragged the rebellion back from the depths, but while Zero was stubborn, he wasn’t stupid. Kaname could force him into submission quickly, and he had in the past, so the silver-haired boy knew he was treading a taut line.

“Fine, whatever.” he murmured, before wobbling to a stand. He leaned against the tiled wall for support and barely took a step before his legs caved and he had to tremble into the wall again. Zero watched the Pureblood watch his struggle. He wanted to scream at him for not offering help, but then again, even if he had, Zero wouldn’t have taken it.

Kaname stood patiently by the threshold as Zero rearranged himself on the wall, eyes tracing the blood-stained clothes, and blood-stained skin, and blood-stained hair. Zero hissed. “Well? I’m listening.”

“Are you?” Kaname slid both hands into his pockets and took a step into the bathroom, before closing the door and locking it. “Usually, you never do.”

Zero tensed. “Open the door.”

“No.”

“You want me to shoot you?” He threatened, though he lacked the means to do so, since Bloody Rose was nowhere in the bathroom. Really, Zero was suffocating in this enclosed space with Kaname, of all delicious smelling people…

His eyes shifted into bright embers, glaring fiercely at the vampire, and his gums throbbed. Zero pressed his hands into his nose and shut his mouth. He’d rather asphyxiate than drink from Kaname again, weird things happened when he did, also, his fucking principles. Kaname’s brow twitched.

“Kiryu. That’s childish.”

Zero stuck out his tongue for good measure. He always thought he was more mature than Yuki, but sometimes it was nice to be a little shit. “Fuck off.” He flipped him the bird.

Kaname’s eyes darkened with temper. Zero was so, so close to smirking when the Pureblood vanished and reappeared an inch away from his face. 

His scent, Zero noted (subject to an abrupt daze), was more than roses. It was thick, smooth chocolate syrup curling around the tongue, bitter yet addictively sweet, with cinnamon sugar twirling into the mixture and catching on his throat, near choking him with its intensity. It was smoke (fire?), something saccharine sweet burning, and the smell of s’mores saturated his nose in an instant. His tongue grew heavy, saliva pooling in the alcove of his mouth as he swallowed it down and stared up at Kaname with wide eyes.

Zero groaned in want. Then he blinked. When did he uncover his nose? “Oh, fuc—mphf!” 

Kaname slid his fingers into Zero’s mouth. The boy jerked away but Kaname was quick, snagging the back of his silver locks and forcing Zero’s head forward. Kaname, tone dripping in derision, said, “Open wide for me, Kiryu.” He hummed. “Surely you don’t plan to deny me.”

Casual as ever, he slipped his fingers into Zero’s throat and Zero gagged immediately, the walls of his throat clenching down around the smooth fingertips. The hunter panicked when something started coming up. Kaname observed him clinically and simply removed his fingers before shoving Zero in the direction of the toilet.

Zero surged to the toilet bowl and threw up, choking out blood and trembling when it finally stopped. “Kuran, what the hell is _wrong_ with you?”

“The blood tablets were still in your system.” He provided before gesturing to the sink. “Rinse out your mouth.”

Zero, cautious and a little scared, did as Kaname said and supported his weak legs against the countertop. The Pureblood was still elegant, somehow, after shoving his fingers down someone’s throat, and he pulled out a dark red handkerchief, wiping his hand down. Zero would have guffawed if he weren’t in so much pain. It fit the image of ‘debonair’ very well.

After gurgling and spitting into the basin, Zero shuddered under the intentional scrutiny of mahogany eyes. He whipped his head around and glared. “I’m still waiting for you to fucking leave.”

Kaname tilted his head and hummed, like he was considering the statement.

“Kiryu, answer me this,” He said, “Why should I listen to you when you never listen to me?”

“Because this is my bathroom, you vampire bastard!” Zero threw his hands up in exasperation, but quickly flung them down to grab the sink after he wobbled a little too much. Kaname stared dispassionately. “A-Anyway, I don’t need your help, so get out.”

Kaname’s eyes roamed the gruesome scene on the floor, blood splattered on the bathroom tiles and specks flicked on the walls. He trailed his gaze over to Zero, then, and observed the same things as before: blood-stained clothes, blood-stained skin, blood-stained hair. Zero was acutely aware of those eyes and was unsettled.

“Kiryu, take a shower. Fold your clothes and leave them on the toilet.” Kaname directed. “I’ll be waiting outside.”

Zero startled as the door opened and closed. He actually left.

Mildly confused, Zero stared himself in the mirror and cringed. Clumps of blood splattered his face like dark red moles and trails of it dripped from his mouth. His silver hair was almost pink around the tips, blood clinging to the strands and coloring it like a terrible dye job. And, of course, his clothes were stained with blotches of red, slightly hard to notice because of the black color. He looked like a nightmare.

He groaned and slowly stripped himself down, letting the clothes fall to the floor in a pile. Then, he hobbled over to the shower, supporting himself on the wall, before turning it on and hopping in.

The water was near scalding but Zero barely felt it. No, he was too preoccupied squirming through the nuances of Kaname’s scent. Roses, chocolate, cinnamon, s’mores. A mouthwatering concoction of smells. Truly, the Pureblood was made to be desirable. Vampires in general were attractive, but Purebloods especially. 

Distantly, Zero wondered if, just if he licked Kaname’s skin, would he taste the same way he smells?

A hot droplet of water splashed Zero in the eye and shocked him so much he flinched. He flushed red, attributing all of the sudden warmth in his body to the shower. Then, like a balloon deflated, he slumped down and sighed. “Fucking _hate_ vampires…” He murmured.

After five more minutes in the shower, Zero stepped out and toweled himself dry. The air was cold, raising bumps along his skin and, with narrowed eyes, he noticed something strange. The blood stained floor, the blood on the sink, the blood on the toilet—it was all gone. Everything was clear and clean.

Obviously, it couldn’t have been anyone other than Kaname. Zero wondered why he’d do himself the disservice of manual labor, especially on Zero’s behalf, and the odd warmth from earlier came zipping through him like a heat flash.

Then, Zero spotted his bloodied uniform—that he’d left in a pile—neatly folded on the floor, and next to it, a fresh set of clothes. _Huh._

_That’s really… Kuran did that?_

Something about it made his chest ache in a weird way, a strange yet familiar feeling coating his heart. It reminded him of his mother, folding his clothes in the morning, dressing him, sending him off to school. It reminded him of her gentle, caring hands as she changed him into pajamas and lulled him to sleep.

Zero grinded the memories to a halt. That wasn’t something he wanted _Kuran_ , of all people, to remind him of.

Methodically, and with as little thought as possible, he slipped into his casual sleep attire. His movements jerked here and there, since he was still a bit weak, but the shower eased the pain.

Zero reached for the doorknob and paused. Kaname was still there. He could feel the strength of his presence through the door, and suddenly, Zero wanted to hide out in the bathroom.

He bit his lip. He wasn’t a coward, he could leave the bathroom if he wanted to. Zero gripped the handle. _But…_ Kaname was there, just waiting. The desire to open the door left him and he just stared down at the doorknob.

“Kiryu,” a deep voice called, and Zero recoiled from the door instantly. “I don’t have all day.”

“Then _leave._ ” He said back.

Zero heard an agitated sigh from beyond the door. Then, he felt Kaname’s presence shift closer and he hurriedly clicked the lock on the doorknob.

“Zero Kiryu. Open the door.”

“No.”

Like a scene in a horror movie, Zero watched the lock slowly click open on its own. He sputtered. “Kuran, that’s not—”

The door swung open, too fast for him to grab hold of, though even if he’d tried it would be a lost cause. Kaname stood there with his arms crossed, looking down at him with a fairly perturbed expression, a vague twitch to his brow, and a frown on his lips.

Pissed and frazzled after smelling Kaname’s sweet, _sweet_ scent again, Zero yelled out, “You and your freaky vampire powers, I don’t get why you don’t just—just fucking _leave._ ”

Kaname stared at him with his brow raised. He reached and placed a tight grip on Zero’s wrist, dragging him from the bathroom. “My patience with you is running dangerously low. I’m not aiding you out of the kindness of my heart. I’m aiding you to ensure the welfare of Yuuki, who I’m certain you’re also concerned about.”

Zero winced. Kaname wasn’t wrong. Every day he’d spent in Yuuki’s presence was an opportunity for him to slip up and lose control of himself, attack her just like the monsters he claimed to protect her from. His existence was a danger.

Usually, he had _something_ to retort, but he couldn’t think of anything at all. Zero remained quiet.

He stumbled onto his bed and looked up, watching Kaname remove his jacket and tie, as well as loosen the top of his button-up. The vampire sat down next to him and raised his head to show the pale skin of his neck, an obvious invitation. Or maybe a demand, considering the steel glare in his eyes.

Zero hesitated, and Kaname must have noticed this hesitation, so he quickly cut a thin line across his skin and the blood began to ooze.

Blood was interesting. For a human, to even see it was a gruesome sight. For a vampire, though, it was a delight.

_Truly delightful_ , Zero thought, as his eyes followed the red droplet racing down the Pureblood’s skin. Pure blood was something coveted, an ancient delicacy that few ever get to taste, and to do so was treasonous.

The desire from before unfurled from inside him with full force as his throat _burned_ and his fangs elongated. His eyes shifted red, his gums itched, and saliva gathered in his mouth. He forcefully swallowed it down with a whine deep in his throat. Zero shivered, each muscle in his body pulled taut with yearning.

He tried to reject it, he really did. Drinking from that Pureblood, from _Kaname_ , would only drag him deeper into the storm he’d been trying to escape. His breaths grew heavy.

Zero looked at the Pureblood one more time and he saw that _infuriating_ tilt to his lips, that debonair smile. Gentlemanly, even while Zero fell apart in front of him.

“Take what you will, Zero.” He whispered the words like a secret, one that Zero was meant to keep. “It’s the only thing you can do.”

Zero takes, and his fangs prick the skin like rose thorns.


End file.
